Aland Healthcare Agency

Updated 29 June 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission and they were also the proprietor of the service. This means that they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Before our arrival at the provider’s office, we spoke with the registered manager about the infection prevention and control arrangements at the premises in line with COVID-19 safety protocols.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we held about the service, for example any notifications the provider is required by law to send to us. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return (PIR) prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

However, we received a completed PIR from the provider after the inspection visit and took this into account in making our judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We commenced our inspection on 29 April 2021 with a visit to the service and concluded on 20 May 2021 via a remotely conducted feedback session with the registered manager. We spoke with the registered manager and a domiciliary care consultant who had supported the registered manager to establish the service.

We reviewed a range of records, which included the care records for both people using the service. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment, training and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including ‘spot check’ visits reports and policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We spoke with both people who used the service and two members of the care staff. We also spoke with an individual who was both an advocate for autistic people and a trainer, with experience of providing training to the service.

Updated 29 June 2021

About the service

Aland Healthcare Agency is a domiciliary care service and is registered to provider personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection two people were using the service and they were both receiving personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were supported with their personal care needs and other support they needed in a respectful and individual way.

Staff received safeguarding training and understood how to protect people from the risk of abuse and neglect.

Systems were in place to promote people’s safety and mitigate any identified risks. This included safe support with medicine administration and effective measures to protect people from the risk of infection.

People had formed good relationships with care staff, who they described as “kind” and “excellent”. Staff were safely recruited, and they received appropriate training and supervision to carry out their roles and responsibilities.

People were supported to receive food and drink of their choice. Staff were provided with guidance about people's healthcare needs to enable them to promptly identify if people were unwell and needed external healthcare support.

Staff were aware of people's rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and supported people to have maximum choice and control of their lives, in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were encouraged to participate in the planning and reviewing of their care plans, wherever possible. Care plans were written in a style that clearly reflected how the registered manager had consulted with people about their needs, interests and expectations.

People knew how to make a complaint and were confident the registered manager would act professionally and politely to resolve any concerns.

The service was well-managed. People and staff were asked for their views about how to improve the service. The registered manager had frequent contact with both people and regularly checked their care and support was being delivered in line with their agreed care plans.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with CQC on 4 March 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection following registration.